2016: The Year the Placemaking Movement Went Global

The placemaking movement in 2016 continued its trajectory from a once quiet movement to a global platform to reinvent the way we shape our cities and communities. Bubbling up from every corner of the world and every sector, discipline, and cause, the placemaking movement demonstrated its capacity to provide the common ground between disparate partners necessary to implement the recently enacted "New Urban Agenda," an international agreement to guide the growth of cities for the next 20 years.

Bruce Katz became our partner in 2016, collaborating to connect the innovation economy and placemaking for more inclusive growth.

A month later, Habitat III, the largest UN Conference ever, took place in Quito, where attendees ratified the New Urban Agenda, an agreement charting the growth of cities globally for the next twenty years. This gathering was the culmination of five years of advocacy by Project for Public Spaces, with UN Habitat, and the Future of Places program (including partners from over 100 countries), for the inclusion of public space and placemaking in the New Urban Agenda. The final document includes the spirit of all eight key messages developed by placemakers at the many Future of Places events. Overall, the week was a celebration of public spaces and placemaking and a powerful coming together of global leaders who are passionate about shaping cities around people and places.

In the coming year, PPS will focus on building the capacity of regional placemaking networks and global networks around the Placemaking Leadership Council’s Transformative Agendas, with many important, multi-sector regional gatherings being planned in Chile, South Africa, Kenya, India, Asia South Pacific, the Netherlands, and more.

Jennifer Keesmaat uses placemkaing as a means to bring everyone into the conversation.

After falling between the cracks of many causes, public space and placemaking are being understood as a means to address our many shared challenges more holistically. This year, help us to further grow, connect, and resource the now global placemaking movement.

Here are a few ways you can get involved now:

Make a donation to Project for Public Spaces and support our work advancing placemaking around the world.